


I Like Girls (Request)

by lahlastormborn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: College AU, F/F, Fluff, I hope the characters aren't too ooc, M/M, So Reader and Pidge are both of age, Tumblr request, i still don't know what i'm doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-05-29 07:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15067964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lahlastormborn/pseuds/lahlastormborn
Summary: Posted on Tumblr @ wait-a-tic“Can I kiss you?” the words left your lips before you knew it, and you audibly gulped when the last syllable hit the air. You didn’t know Pidge’s eyes could grow so wide.(2600+ words of Fluff)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of a two-parter! It was requested anonymously through my Tumblr ^^ I hope that the characters don't seem too OOC. Please leave comments to help me improve!

You let out a heavy sigh as you stared up the long dreadful staircase. You tried to convince yourself that it was good exercise but you could still feel that tiny demon of frustration kicking around inside you. Placing your hands on your hips and nodding to yourself, you grabbed your luggage once more and began your trek. It took some time, but you successfully reached your level, nearly throwing yourself through the door with a huff.

You had been informed that you were rooming with a Freshman this semester. After your last roommate had caused you to have a breakdown, you prayed that the new one at least knew how to clear up after themselves. You rounded the corner and began down the hall towards your room. An animated conversation was bouncing off the walls, the source seeming to be your destination.  As you neared, a shoe came flying out of the room, hitting the opposite wall followed by loud laughter. Taken aback, you slowed your approach.

When you finally came upon it, you bent down to pick up the shoe. However, your hand halted when it came into contact with another smaller one. As you raised your head, you found yourself staring into sweet honey-brown eyes hidden behind round spectacles.

“Um….hello?” the spectacled girl spoke, quirking her brow at you before standing at full height and taking back her shoe. She was short, with fluffy chestnut colored hair and a green hoodie. A boy, nearly identical to the girl but taller with a slender muscular build, came walking out of the room behind her with a silly grin on his face. You looked between them before standing back and holding out your hand and introducing yourself.  They both stared at you, the boy with an amused expression and the girl still a questioning look.

“So, which one of you is my new roommate?”

* * *

 

As you unpacked your items you occasionally shared small talk with the boy, who had introduced himself as Matt. His younger sister Katie, who preferred to go by the name Pidge, would sometimes jump into the conversation with a smart statement. She hadn’t said much to you directly yet, but you pushed that off as her feeling awkward in the new environment.

You were a bit shocked at first that she was your new roommate. Not that you had anything against being her roommate, you just didn’t know exactly what to make of her yet.  Apparently, she had come to the University on a full-sail scholarship. She wanted to follow in her brother’s footsteps, who had graduated a few years back with a Ph.D. in Engineering and Technology. She was small and cute but with every word she said, a vast amount of humor and intellect came with them. And whenever your eyes met, you felt a heat build in your chest and spread to your cheeks. You had never reacted this way to anyone or anything and wondered if perhaps you were coming down with something.

As you continued to organize your things, Matt and Pidge laughed and talked together, the sight of them causing a feeling of melancholy to flash through your heart. You thought back to the first day you came here with your brother Keith. You had both worked your asses off to get into the University, both in school and at your part-time jobs. You took care of each other, being each others only family since your father passed when you were young. You shared everything with each other, from thoughts and emotions to hobbies and interests. You could hide nothing from him, and you never tried to.

So as you watched Matt and Pidge from afar, you couldn’t help but miss your brother. It was the first semester he decided not to return to the University.  You hadn’t gotten too into why he had made this decision, wanting to support him as much as possible, but not having him there with you was harder than you thought it would be.

Soon enough, it came time for Matt to leave. You left them both a moment so that they could exchange tearful goodbyes. Pidge waved after Matt until his car disappeared from view, wiping her face of any leftover tears. She turned to you and cleared her throat, “So…any good places around her to order food from?”

You let out a small laugh before crossing your arms and nodding, “Oh, yeah.”

* * *

 

Pidge seemed to like to keep to herself, or at least keep to herself when she was around you. You shared a few words every now and then but nothing too significant. You even resorted to leaving each other sticky notes so the other would know when you needed milk or if the heater had started to make that grating noise again.

Despite not really sharing more than a few words, she had begun to grow on you. There were few moments when you would see sweet sides of her come out. Like when she stayed awake late at night studying and working, her tongue sticking out as she hunched over her laptop. She seemed to have great amounts of motivation and determination in everything she did, it was a trait you found inspiring and dare you say, attractive.

There were feelings growing inside of you that you were both scared and intrigued by. You thought about pushing them down and ignoring them, not wanting to scare her away when she was already so hesitant around you. And so, you decided to try and get closer to her, wanting to confirm these confusing emotions.

You began to worry about the amount of coffee and energy drinks she consumed on a daily basis and would make sure to leave better options available in the fridge. You tried to initiate more conversations with her, taking notice to her interests and learning more about them. And one night, when you came back to the dorm after staying extra hours at your job, you found Pidge slumped over her laptop like always, fast asleep. She let out small snores and occasionally spoke as her face melded with the keyboard.

You kept as quiet as you could as you walked up behind her and sat down, just gazing at her soft face a few moments. Not wanting to be too creepy, you wrapped your arms around her cautiously. You were lucky she seemed to be in deep enough sleep that she didn’t react to you moving her to her bed. Slipping her glasses off her face, your hand caressed her cheeks and hair, messy from her continuously running her hand through it in frustration. You felt yourself begin to stare at her again but stopped as she began to groan and turn. You quickly grabbed her blanket and placed on her and bolted to your side of the room. But not before hearing her mumble your name.

You swear you died and went to heaven right then and there.

* * *

 

After that night, she began to do small things for you too. When you would come home late, dinner would already be ready and made for you, most often consisting of your favorite dishes. She could always tell when you were struggling with an assignment and wouldn’t hesitate to come over and help explain as much as she could, often going off on a tangent before catching herself and becoming flustered.

She had begun to interact with you more, making you laugh and just spending time around you. She would listen to you patiently and respond back with whatever you needed in the moment, whether that be a logical explanation or a sarcastic joke. You would do the same for her, admiring how passionate she could get. When she was the one talking, it would end in her apologizing for speaking so long and you saying just how much you liked to hear her talk. There were two pairs of blushy ears after those words.

That warm fuzzy feeling inside of you grew with this new found friendship, and you were certain of one thing. You were falling in love. And it was scary, really scary. You had never felt this way about anyone before, and you had no idea what to do. You thought about going to Keith about it but you were sure he would be just as clueless about what to do as you were.

It was one fateful night that everything finally came to the surface. You don’t know if it was because of the storm raging outside or the fact that she looked particularly attractive in her flannel pajamas, but you just couldn’t help but glance lovingly at her every now and then. You would always turn back to your work before being caught. But this allowed her to send similar looks your way without your notice.

The lights had been flickering for some time now, causing you to hurry your work as you tried to finish the paper assigned before losing power. All that could be heard in the room was the sound of fingers tapping on keyboards and the occasional roar of thunder. With every strike, you jumped, your body not enjoying the sudden loud noise. If only Keith was there, he always knew what to do for you in situations like this.

It seemed that the world didn’t intend for you to finish the paper that night because as you scrolled towards the save button for one last time, lightning flashed beyond your window and everything went dark. An audible groan came from Pidge as you silently screamed, face planting on your bed and shoving your laptop away. As the frustration and anger began to fade away, another emotion approached. Despair. While you were merely jumping silently at the lightning and thunder before, due to the distraction your assignment gave you, you now feared that your reaction might be more than dramatic.

Another crash of thunder came, shaking the building to its foundation. You wrapped your blankets tightly around yourself, shivering from the noise still ringing in your ear. No sound had come from Pidge’s side of the room since the lights had gone out and the constant flashing of lightning made it hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. She seemed completely unbothered by the storm. Another roll of thunder led to another shiver running down your spine. You wondered if plugging your ears would help. But, as the next boom of thunder struck, the loudest one yet, you nearly jumped out of your skin. With an ungodly scream, you fell from your bed to the floor with a thump.

“Are you okay?” Pidge’s worried voice came from her bed as she leaned over to look at you. You sputtered as you sat up, embarrassment filling your core, “Y-yeah…I’m fine!” You said it too fast and much too loud. You hoped the lack of light hid your anxious appearance. “You know, you can…come up on my bed if you want,” Pidge spoke softly, “there’s plenty of room.”

You scurried across the room before she was even able to finish her sentence. Blushing as you settled in, you sat about a foot away from Pidge, giving her space. But, you wondered if it was okay to sit closer. You wanted to. And you wondered if she wanted you to as well. And, maybe it was the darkness or the storm or even the fact that you were physically and emotionally closer to her than you ever were before but you needed to be next to her. You wanted to hug her and kiss her and…

  “You can come closer…” she ruffled her hair and adjusted her glasses as she spoke, and all you could hear was the memory of her voice and the rain beating against the window.

“…Huh?” she asked dumbly, knowing what she had said but wanting to hear it again.

“You don’t have to sit all the way over there,” she spoke a little louder as she turned towards you, “You can sit closer to me.” A small smile grew on your face, but you quickly suppressed it and scooted over. At first, you were a little scared to lean against her, but slowly grew more comfortable and settled in. Being next to her like this, the sound of the thunder seemed to fade out as the pounding of your heart grew. You wondered if she could hear it. Little did you know, she was in a similar state, not knowing what to say to you at that moment. Her head raced as she tried to think of a subject to talk to you about but every thought came up blank. After several moments of silence, she finally spoke.

“I didn’t know you were scared of thunderstorms…” Pidge frowned at her statement, wondering if she sounded stupid to you. You chuckled nervously, “It’s not the storm exactly, more the noise. I never liked loud sounds, ever since I was a kid. Keith was always there to distract me or sit with me but…” you trailed off, sighing.

“I could tell you a story my dad told Matt and me when we were younger,” Pidge spoke softly, fiddling her thumbs, “To get your mind off things?”

You nodded, shifting closer to Pidge as she began. It was a story involving space and aliens and an intergalactic war. It quickly took your mind off things, and soon enough you were laughing and sharing your own stories. Minutes turned into hours as you sat there still wrapped in your blanket and listening to the sound of her voice. You wondered if you could get away with putting your arm around her shoulder and pulling her into the blanket with you. The urgency of wanting her next to you growing, but at the same time, you didn’t want to scare her away.

As you let your gaze trail over to her, you were surprised to find her staring at you. She had grown silent, her honey-brown eyes getting wide and nervous as if you had caught her doing something she shouldn’t. Her lips were slightly parted, her cheeks flushed and you swore you could feel her heart beating. You wanted to push back her soft hair, feeling it between your fingers and…

“Can I kiss you?” the words left your lips before you knew it, and you audibly gulped when the last syllable hit the air. You didn’t know Pidge’s eyes could grow so wide. You inwardly swore. You had messed up, the look on her face told you enough. She didn’t like you that way, she probably didn’t even like girls that way. You wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there for all eternity. You would never be able to talk to her again, to look at her again. You began to look away ashamed but hands, calloused from hours of typing, grabbed your cheeks and a pair of lips smashed against your own.

You didn’t process it at first, your mind running into an error. You only reacted when she finally pulled back and looked at you shocked with both you and herself.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, still holding your face in her hands, “You just said so I–and I’ve wanted to for a while and…I didn’t–” You cut her off as you pushed forward to meet her lips with your own. It was awkward and clumsy, but it was a kiss nonetheless. You felt her relax against you as her arms fell to your shoulders. You gingerly pushed your hands into her hair, brushing it back and relishing in the feeling of it between your fingers. When you finally pulled back, you were both breathless and red-faced. Her glasses askew as she gazed up at you, eyes half-lidded.

  “So… does that means you like me?” you chuckled, taking her hand in yours. She laughed and shook her head, “Duh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is 1000+ words more than the other! Enjoy! (You can send in requests @wait-a-tic on Tumblr)

The sun filtering through the blinds fell over your eyes, rousing you from a deep sleep. A calming presence filled the room as you groaned and rolled around in your bed, reaching out to wrap your arms around the person beside you. They were small, fitting perfectly in your arms as if they were meant to be there. You wished that time would stop in that moment, so you could stay there forever, but your alarm had other plans. The beeping started softly, slowly escalating until you were sure it could be heard throughout the entire building. With one arm still hugging the person next to you, you reached out lazily trying to find the snooze button. Feeling around the bedside table, your fingers stumbled over several different items from books to a pair of glasses. But, they never met with your phone.

 

   As you continued to struggle, an annoyed mumble came from the person beside you. Muttering your name along with a few curses, they reached across you and shoved their hand under your pillow, pulling out the lively device. Violently pressing the snooze button, they threw it across the room where it landed on the opposite bed with a thud before snuggling into your chest. 

 

   “Sorry Pidge...” you spoke softly, not wanting to agitate your girlfriend more than she already was. Though still groggy, a small part of you worried about the condition of your phone. But more importantly, you were grateful it wasn’t you that had to face the wrath of this small individual. She merely grunted, pulling the covers over her face in an attempt to hide it from the rising sun. It had taken you a while to remember why you had set that alarm in the first place. With the classes over for the semester, you wondered exactly why you would ever want to get up so early. 

 

   And then it struck you. Today was the day that Keith would finally know the truth. And you were terrified.

 

* * *

 

After the night of the storm and the kiss(es) you shared, it was only natural that dating followed. The next day, everything had been exactly the same as it was before, and at first, you wondered if you had dreamed the occurrences of the previous night. You didn’t mind it too much and you thought about asking Pidge if it were real but held back in fear of being wrong. 

 

Later that week, Pidge addressed you as her girlfriend when talking to her family on the phone. You wanted to jump her then and there but, out of respect to her family, resisted the urge. Waiting until she hung up, you wrapped your arms around her middle and pulled her close. She let out a surprised yelp, concerned about the sudden show of affection.

“I’m your girlfriend?” you felt her flinch in your arms as you exclaimed, turning around to get a better look at you. 

 

“Um...yeah?” she shrugged, furrowing her eyebrows at you. She flushed furiously as you nuzzled into her neck, explaining to her that you had thought it all a dream. She pulled back, looking at you as if you had gone insane before laughing madly. She clutched at her stomach and fell backward onto her bed, pulling you with her.

 

“I was so worried,” you said timidly after her long bout of giggles, “You hadn’t said anything so I didn’t know if I should call you that or…” 

 

“I don’t just kiss anyone you know,” she wriggled around to flick your forehead, “and nothing has changed besides the fact that you know that I like you.” 

 

You nodded, embarrassed by yourself and recalling all the sweet things she has done for you even before the confession. How stupid must you have been not to notice that she liked you through her actions alone? 

 

“I guess,” you bit your lip and looked into those beautiful honey eyes, “I just need a little bit of a reminder sometimes?” 

 

Pidge grew more red, laughing nervously and gently removing her glasses, “...Okay.”

 

* * *

 

Pidge was very close to her family, and didn’t hesitate to tell them about you. That had resulted in them inviting you and Pidge to dinner over a weekend so that they might meet you in person. Pidge seemed more nervous than you, trying to give you tips and tricks on how to “deal” with the Holts. You laughed but listened carefully, wanting to make a good first impression. The drive there was quiet, consisting of Pidge nervously adjusting her shirt every five minutes as you glanced her way with a reassuring smile. You were nervous, there was no doubt about that. But, you cared deeply for her, maybe even loved her. You just hoped her family would recognize that. 

 

A very excitable pitbull terrier was the first to greet you on your arrival. Running and nearly knocking you over as he gave you several investigative sniffs. You carefully patted his head, a little unsure of this little rambunctious pup, but he immediately left when he caught of whiff of Pidge. She held out her arms for him to jump into, which he cheerfully did. 

 

“Bae bae!” she shouted as he ran to her and for a moment, you feared for your girlfriend's life as the large dog leaped through the air and into her waiting arms. You were just about ready to run over there and save her when the sound of giggling met your ear. She was securely holding the canine while he lapped at her face gleefully. You chuckled at the display as you both walked to the front door. 

 

Matt was the second to greet you, absolutely ecstatic as he gave you the biggest of hugs. You were put to ease as he patted your shoulder and smiled at you. He playfully complained about how his sister had managed to get a date before him, winking at Pidge who flashed him with a smug smile. Pidge’s mother and father absolutely adored you, sharing stories of when Pidge was young and embarrassing her to no end the moment you sat at the table. They seemed to have spoken to Pidge beforehand, knowing basic things such as your major and your favorite types of food, all of which seemed to be set at the table that night.

 

You sat back to just observe the Holts as the evening went on, enjoying the witty banter the entire family exchanged, finding a sort of comfort in it all.  Her father and mother worked government jobs that they technically weren’t allowed to share information on. Which meant the entire Holt family knew everything. They would often go on about surveillance and modules, things you didn’t completely understand. Pidge tried to assist by explaining it to you, Matt jumping in every now and then, but it still made little sense. You just smiled and nodded, letting them all continue the exciting conversation as you not-so-secretly fed Bae Bae under the table. 

 

Pidge’s father, who had insisted on you calling him Sam, eventually turned to you to ask more about your own life. He at least seemed interested in it, whether that was for your sake or for Pidge’s you didn’t know. But, you happily obliged, leaving out the bad experiences to make sure you seemed good enough for his daughter. Sam seemed to sense a wariness in you and took you aside just before you left to go home. 

 

“Thank you.” he pulled you into a hug and whispered these words into your ear. A little startled, you simply nodded and stood back to look at him. 

 

“For what?” you questioned, smiling at the older man. Sam chuckled, “Katie hasn’t always had the...best time with others. I’m just glad that she has someone like you on her side.” 

 

* * *

 

 

You were very open about your feelings towards Pidge, much to her embarrassment. The small act of holding her hand had her sputtering for the rest of the day. She needed a break from you every now and then, and being a wonderful girlfriend, you would happily oblige until you were invited back for a cuddle fest. 

 

Your friend's reactions to your open expression of love were either with disgust or adoration. When you had first announced that you two were dating you were met with “it’s about time” and “we know”.  They all supported you nonetheless, happy that you were happy. And you were, the happiest you had ever been in fact. Except there was one problem, you still hadn’t shared this happiness with the other most important person in your life. Your brother Keith.

Growing up as the twin of Keith Kogane had given you a reputation in your local community. You had been known as the “reasonable” or “sensible” one, not one to easily anger. Your emotions were just as bottled up and boiling as your brothers, but your way of letting off steam differed. You were both equally emotional, struggling with emotions in a different way. Despite this, you two were a team. A family. All that you had left in the world after your father had passed away.

 

You neighbors always spoke about how much you resemble your father, taking on his sweet personality. Keith would always snicker at this, earning him a punch in the arm. You were better with authority, confrontation, and people in general despite feeling awkward on the inside. Keith would get nervous around people, not really knowing what to say and how to express himself so he would just shut down. This gave others a bad vibe, but you knew that wasn’t what your brother intended. 

 

But he always managed to be open with you, as if sharing his thoughts and feelings was as natural as breathing.  It was the same for you. You could hide nothing from Keith. And you never tried to, at least not on purpose. So, when you started dating Pidge, it would only be natural that you told your dear twin brother. Except you didn’t and hadn’t even mentioned it in the months that you were dating Pidge. 

 

You don’t know why you kept it from him, it’s not like it slipped your mind every time you spoke on the phone. Anxiety filled you every time you came close to saying something and it only worsened as time went by. So, when he told you he was going to be coming into town for the week, you freaked. 

 

You avoided Keith, rarely taking his phone calls and making excuses every time he tried to meet up with you. Pidge, being observant as she was, asked you about it but you simply brushed it off and smiled. You didn’t explain all of your anxieties to Pidge outright, not wanting to worry her about it all. In other words, you hadn’t told her that your brother had no idea you were dating.

 

* * *

 

Noticing how tense and boxed up you were, Pidge made a plan to take you out on the ultimate date. Starting the day at your favorite cafe for coffee and sweets, you moved forward to the Science and Natural History Museum before, finally ending up at the theatre for a double feature of your favorite flicks. You were sure that she was your guardian angel, putting all of this together for you. You showed her extra affection all day long, kissing and whispering sweet things as much as possible. 

During intermission, you insisted on being the one to get the next fill of drinks and popcorn. After all, she had done so much for you that day. As you were standing in line, you swear you could hear someone call your name. You looked around, eyes wandering before shaking it off. The voice called again, sounding closer and more familiar this time. As you turned to look again, you came face to face with the one person you had been avoiding all week. 

 

His violet eyes were focused on yours, obviously surprised but also pleased to see you. He spoke, but his words never met your ears as a panic set in. Your eyes flickered to the theatre Pidge was currently waiting for you in before being brought back as Keith placed his hand on your shoulders. 

 

“You okay?” he shook you, a concerned frown on his face.

 

“Huh-- oh yeah! I’m great,” you squeaked, wincing at the sound of your voice, “What are you doing here?”

 

He shrugged, a blush creeping onto cheeks as he brushed back his hair, “Actually I’m here wi--”

 

He was interrupted as yet another individual called out your name. The voice of this individual belonged to your girlfriend. You started to sweat. So this was what it was like to be caught in a lie. 

 

“I was wondering what was taking you so long...” Pidge smiled at you, trailing off as she made eye-contact with Keith. Time slowed down as they both turned to you, questions filling their eyes. 

 

“A-ah,” you began, forcing a smile, “Pidge this is Keith, my twin brother.” Pidge nodded in understanding holding out her hand for Keith to take, “Hiya.” 

 

   “And Keith...this is--” you thought a moment before saying it, regretting it the moment it left your lips, “my friend, Pidge.” You swear you could hear Pidge’s heartbreak.

 

* * *

 

Pidge was furious, refusing to speak to you the entire drive home. She had covered for you after the lie, talking through her teeth the entire time. You could tell she was angered by your words immediately, and you saw that Keith sensed it too. He took that moment to leave, awkwardly waving and commenting about calling you later. 

 

You didn’t know what to say, you were scared for entirely different reasons now. You followed behind Pidge silently until you reached the dorm room, closing the door with a click. The atmosphere was heavy. It had never once been this tense between the two of you. You stood by the door, eyes downcast as Pidge walked over to her desk and sat down facing away from you. There was a pain in your chest that grew with each passing moment. Blinking, you took a careful step forward and called out her name. 

 

“Pidge,” you bit your lip, “I’m...I’m so sorry.” You choked out your words. You just wanted her to look at you, yell at you, do something. Not once had she been this quiet, always full of expression and passion when she was angered. You wanted to reach out and hold her and apologize over and over again. Maybe then it would be enough. 

 

   “Katie--” 

 

“I get it,” she interrupted, still not turning to you, “I understand why you didn’t tell him. It can be hard to tell your family your dating a...” Her head shook as she leaned forward onto her desk. “What I don’t understand,” she finally turned to you, and you could see the tears streaming down her soft cheeks, “is why you didn’t you come to me?” 

 

You broke down, watching as tears continued to fall even as she attempted to stop them. Your feet moved on their own, as you wrapped your arms around her shoulders. “I could have helped you, talked it out with you,” she continued to speak, her voice muffled against your shoulder, “We could have figured it out together...I am your girlfriend--” 

 

She stopped, pushing you back and looking into your eyes, “Do you not want me to be your girlfriend?” Your stomach dropped at these words, and the thoughts of no longer waking up to Pidge typing away at her computer every morning, or kissing her goodnight filled your mind. You couldn’t--wouldn’t allow yourself to imagine any further as you looked at her determined. 

 

“I could never want anyone else but you,” she took a deep breath, “I love you. And I’m going to tell Keith...I’ll tells him everything.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Pidge was the one to drive you to the meeting location, your nerves too high to concentrate on anything but the day ahead. You had called Keith the previous night to set up a date to meet up. You told him you had a surprise, and that the sooner you met the better. He seemed to almost happily agree, telling you he had something of his own surprise. You laughed nervously.

 

As Pidge pulled into the lot in front of the cafe where you would meet, she turned to you as she had done several times that day.  Fiddling with your thumbs the entire drive, looking down at your lap deep in thought. A gentle pat broke you out of your trance as you turned to your girlfriend. She took a deep breath, indicating for you to follow. You did so slowly, receiving a soft smile. 

 

“Don’t worry,” she spoke, “I’ll be right by your side.” 

 

The weight on your shoulders seemed to lighten a bit. But, only a bit. You kept a constant eye out for your brother as you approached the front door. He was easy enough to spot in a crowd, but there seemed to be no sign of him yet. Pidge found a booth to sit down at, pushing you into the seat and patting your cheek before going to wait in line. 

 

Your eyes constantly flickered to the front door, jumping every time the jingle of bells sounded as another customer walked through. Your tunnel vision made you completely unaware of Pidge, who had come back and sat next to you. The loud slurping sound she made when coming to the end of her drink startled you. Shaking your head and eyes watering, you looked to her again as she stared at you from behind her glasses. 

 

Giving you one of those goofy grins that always made you giggle, your heart filled with warmth as you slid a little closer to her. You would be fine. Everything was going to be fine. Another jingle of bells caught your attention as you turned to see who was entering this time. Your eyes widened as your brother walked through the door, looking a little sheepish. He was followed by another boy who seemed oddly familiar. 

 

You gulped, steeling yourself as he looked around the restaurant until his eyes landed on you. The look in his eyes was something you had seen before. Something you had seen recently in your own eyes. Guilt. Tilting your head and crossing your arms, you tried to recall why the boy with him seemed so familiar. Then it hit you. 

 

“Lance?” you spoke aloud as they approached the booth. He gave you a small grin and waved, looking over at Keith cautiously before sliding into his seat. You had known Lance since High School. He had always been neck and neck with Keith, constantly fighting him and trying to show off. You always thought he had a crush on your brother, but when you brought it up to Keith it had been the first and last time you had spoken about it.

 

“Hey,” she spoke casually, but there was a strange lilt to his voice as if he was hiding something, “Long time no see!” 

 

You let out a short laugh, “Yeah--what are you…?” You trailed off, looking between him and Keith who didn’t seem to want to meet your gaze. Lance’s eyes flashed over to Keith, his smile growing sly. Your eyes followed his, landing on your brother who seemed to be grown more and more red by the second. He finally looked up at you, pushing his hair back and clearing his throat. 

 

“So,” he began, “about that surprise I was telling you on the phone…” he glanced over at Lance, his words stuck in his mouth. Lance seemed to want to say something but was holding back for your brother's sake. 

 

“Lance and I are…he’s my boyfriend.” 

 

“Wait, what?” you heard Pidge speak beside you, but didn’t take much notice due to your heart nearly beating out of your chest. 

 

“I’m dating Lance,” When he spoke, he looked directly into your eyes, “We’ve been dating for a while and I’ve been meaning to tell you but…”

 

“I’m dating Pidge!” the words fell from your mouth before you could stop them. Now it was your turn to be stared at. “I mean,” you tried again, “Pidge isn’t just my friend. We’ve been going out for some time too.” The moment the words left your lips, the weight and anxiety lifted from your shoulders. 

 

“Y-you’re dating? Why didn’t you--” Keith started, pulling himself back when he realized the irony in his question. 

 

“I was scared of what you might think,” you spoke slowly, “I guess...that was stupid of me.” 

 

“No,” Keith slammed his hand on the table, successfully startling half the restaurant, “It’s not stupid at all. I understand exactly how you feel...because I was scared too.”  

 

You wanted so badly at that moment to reach across the table and hug Keith till the end of time. You and Keith continued to talk for what must have been hours, leaving Lance and Pidge to get to know each other better. Luckily they seemed to hit it off well, despite a bit of strain here and there. You made Keith promise to never keep anything from you again. All you got in response was an eye raise and small smile.

 

Pidge slid her hand into your under the table, squeezing it. You took that chance to lean your head onto her shoulder, the afternoon sun shining through the windows causing a soft atmosphere to rise in the cafe. You could have stayed in that moment forever. 


End file.
